


Characters Watch Julie and the Phantoms

by SteampunkSlytherin



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Also on Wattpad and Quotev, Every family feels really bad about how they treated their kids, F/M, Flynn Appreciation (Julie and The Phantoms), I cry a lot during this, I kidnap a whole bunch of people and force them to watch their show, Julie and the phantoms - Freeform, M/M, No one seems to be willing to do this and get it done so I will be doing it, Tons of Fangirl Fits, You meet the boys parents and family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:28:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28140903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteampunkSlytherin/pseuds/SteampunkSlytherin
Summary: A crazy fangirl by the name of Sam kidnaps Julie Molina, her dad, brother, her best friend, her dead bandmates, her sworn enemy, her sworn enemies dad, her ex-crush, and her dead bandmates families.She does this because she was bored and because she wanted them to see their show.Read as the boys reunite with their families and truths are discovered.I'm taking the families from a year after the boys died, so 1996, okay? Okay.I'm doing this because there are, like, 3 Jatp watching the show fics out there and none of the characters have even started watching the actual show yet.I don't own Jatp and the cover, only my OCs, and Sam. I own Sam because I am Sam, and I refuse to let anyone else besides myself own me.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 98
Kudos: 143





	1. I Kidnap The Band And Three Others Against Their Will

**Author's Note:**

> A/N- Yeah, yeah, I should be working on my other fanfic but I couldn't resist myself! I watch Jatp pretty much every day and I've watched the entire season at least twelve times already. I really wanted a watching the show fic but there were almost none so I took it upon myself to create this beauty.
> 
> If you haven't watched Julie and the Phantoms, it is amazing and hilarious, and I cry every time I watch Unsaid Emily. My family was so surprised that I actually have emotions and am not completely heartless after all (yes, those were their actual words) when they walked in on me crying. You can find it on Netflix. Hope y'all liked it so far!
> 
> Peace, 
> 
> Sam :)

"Are you ready," Julie questioned the guys excitedly as she opened the garage doors. 

She was holding a bag that the boys knew to be her dress for the Orpheum. They were playing the Orpheum that night! It was so hard to believe! Hopefully, the boys would cross over, and Caleb would never get Luke's, Alex's, and Reggie's souls. At least, that's what they were hoping for.

Her smile faded though when she saw the boys look at her warily, rubbing their sides. "What's wrong?" 

Alex walked towards her, smiling reassuringly, the boys following her. "Yeah, we just got rocked by one of those jolt things."

"Pretty sure I just ghost-peed a little," Reggie said, an uncomfortable expression on his face. 

Luke came out from behind the two boys, grinning. "But we're fine." 

"Actually, guys, I'm a little nervous," Julie said, none of them noticing the green phone appearing in the garage door windows. They continued talking, the guys reassuring Julie that everything would be okay. 

Julie looked at Luke, an odd expression plastering her face. "Uh, Luke, can I talk to you for a second?" 

Luke flashed a crooked grin at her and walked over. "Yeah."

Julie hung her clothes on the door handle, not noticing her little brother, Carlos, flinching when he thought he would get caught filming them. 

Julie and Luke got close, only about a foot apart, and Julie looked up at Luke. "Um, can you do me a favor?"

"Anything, Julie, you know that," Luke said softly. 

Julie looked down, seeming to struggle with her words. "When you cross over," she said looking back up at Luke, "If... If you happen to see my mom... can you tell her I love her?" Julie looked up at Luke hopefully. He stared at her, surprise covering his face. 

She continued. "And thank her for sending you to me?" 

Luke nodded. "Yeah, I will." 

They smiled softly at each other, gazing into each other's eyes. 

A loud sob interrupted them, seeming to come from the loft. They blinked and looked at Alex and Reggie. They both shrugged. "Don't look at us! We didn't do that."

The band looked up at the loft, where the sound came from. They reeled back in surprise when they saw a teenage girl leaning down on the railing bawling her eyes out. 

She peered out from behind her hands. She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't mind me! Go back to what y'all were doing! Just give me a moment." 

She waved her hand again and a box of tissues appeared in thin air and dropped into her outstretched palm. She pulled one out, ignoring the gaping looks that were being directed to her from down below. She blew her nose with a loud HONK and tossed the tissue over her shoulder. 

"Who-who are you?" Julie stuttered. 

The girl waved her hand again and the red splotches in her cheeks, the redness in her eyes, along with the tears disappeared. The girl grinned at them like she just hadn't been crying loudly and backed away into the shadows. The shadows engulfed her and suddenly she was gone. 

Alex whirled around to face the others. "Who was that?! Did anyone recognize her?!"

They all shook their heads no. "Maybe she works for Caleb," Luke suggested. "She looks like the type."

"True," Reggie muttered. 

"Dam, guys, I'm taking that as a personal offense."

Julie, Luke, Alex, and Reggie twisted around. Carlos peered around the door, his eyes wide as he watched what happened. There the girl was in all glory. She waved at them cheerfully. "Hi!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone screamed loudly, clinging on to each other. Reggie tried to grab Julie but his arm fell through her. 

The girl winced. "Jesus, y'all sure do have some pipes on y'all. Tone it down a bit, will ya?" 

They just kept on screaming. 

The girl frowned at them. "Will it work if I say please?"

They kept screaming.

"Good God, I don't have time for this," the girl grumbled. She waved her hand and everyone stopped screaming. 

"Who are you and what are you doing in my studio," Julie asked, grabbing a cross off the wall. This gave everyone a weird case of déjà vu. 

"I go by many things. Evil Angel, Steampunk Slytherin, Samantha, Sam, etc. I prefer to be called Sam, however," the girl- Sam- explained to them. 

Alex opened his mouth to ask her something but Sam interrupted him. "As to why I'm here, that is for me to know and for you to find out." 

They all started backing slowly away from her. 

Sam ignored this and brightened. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! I need to bring Flynn and Ray here!" She snapped her fingers and grinned lazily at them. 

"What do you need with them," Julie snapped.

"They're going to be a part of my little 'project'; something that y'all will be participating in too."

The boys and Julie looked at each other worriedly. "What kind of project," Luke asked.

"Oh, it's just a little thing I decided to do because I was bored. Don't worry, it won't hurt you- at least, not physically or mentally."

"Excuse me?"

Sam held up a finger. "Hold on," she turned around. "Carlos, dude, can you come out from behind that door? I'm gonna need you too!" 

Carlos slinked out from behind the door, gaping as he looked at Sam. He seemed to be at a loss for words. He quickly ran to where Julie was standing and she wrapped her arms around him protectively. 

"Oh, yeah, I'm making you guys visible to everyone y'all are about to meet, so Carlos here can see you," Sam explained to the three ghosts happily. 

Reggie looked at her, his eyes big. "How did you-"

Sam started jumping up and down. "Ooh, here they come!"

All of a sudden, Flynn, Julie's bestie, and Ray, Julie's and Carlos' dad, fell out of thin air and landed on the hardwood floor. They seemed to be knocked out. 

Julie let out a small scream. "What did you do to them?!" 

Sam rolled her eyes. "Calm down; I just cast a sleeping spell on them, that's all." 

Julie and Carlos sagged in relief. 

"Oh, my gosh," Reggie whispered to the guys, "This girl is a freaking witch!"

Sam clapped her hands. "Whelp, we better hurry it along. I still have to pick up the next group!"

Julie looked startled. "Next group? Wha-"

Sam's eyes twinkled at her. "You'll find out soon! Promise!"

"How can you see us? Are you a ghost?" Alex finally asked Sam.

The girl giggled at him. "No." 

Luke spoke up impatiently. "Then what exactly are you?"

The girl grinned a smile as big and as mad as the Cheshire Cat's. "I'm a Fangirl." 

And without farther ado, she clapped her hands twice and every single one of them was wrapped into the welcoming arms of the shadows.


	2. Backstories, Kidnapping, and Angst, Oh My!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I kidnap the families, but you also get backstories! I own my OCs! Sorry for all the bad angst! It's my first time writing it and I suck at emotions lol.

It was a beautiful day, with the birds chirping and the flowers blooming, along with a clear sky. However, not everything is what it seems. The mood was dark, sad, and dreary. 

The reason why?

It was July 22, 1996; exactly a year after three amazing, teenage boys were killed by food poisoning from street dogs. 

The families of Luke Patterson, Reggie Peters, and Alex Mercer were gathered around their respectable family member's grave. The graves were side by side. At the funeral, the three mothers- Emily Patterson, Mary Peters, and Audrey Mercer- wanted their boys to be buried together. So, that is what happened. 

.oOo.

Emily and Mitch were gathered around Luke's grave crying silently. They picked up a guitar pick and placed it on the ground in front of his grave and picked up the old pick. They did this every time they came over to his grave. The other families would do the same. 

"Why," Emily asked Mitch, tears rolling down her face. "Why couldn't I just have supported him with his music? He would be here if I did!"

Mitch wrapped his arms around his wife. "It's not just your fault, honey. I played a part in it, too." 

They continued crying together and placed some orange flowers in front of his grave that read:

Luke D. Patterson

June 18, 1978 - July 22, 1995

Beloved son, best friend, musician

The song has ended but the melody lingers on. 

.oOo.

A couple of feet away, the Peters family sat in a circle around Reggie's grave. They were all holding hands with their heads down, sobs wracking their bodies. Mary and John were holding hands but if you looked closer, you could see that they didn't have their rings on.

The two had gotten divorced about a month after Reggie's death. The house was so much calmer, and Reggie's siblings were very happy about that. John and Mary had mostly stopped fighting every time they saw each other and had settled to being friends. They got along more than they did when they were married, and everyone was perfectly fine with that fact. Sure, the two had little spats sometimes but everyone got into fights every now and then. 

The oldest siblings, Ryan and Regan (twins) were sobbing loudly. They had both left for college as soon as they graduated so they could get away from all of the fighting. They didn't really think about how that affected their other siblings. It quite obviously affected Reggie the worst. He always went to the twins when their parents fought because they would always go out when it happened and they would take him with them. His little brother, Ross, had a best friend to go to across the street whenever things got rough. Reggie didn't have that, which is why he went with the twins. 

When they left... he didn't have anyone else to go to. Mainly because Reggie was thirteen when they left, so he couldn't drive. It was just his luck when he got closer to Luke and Alex. Sure, they had always been friends. But they definitely grew closer when they were assigned a school project at the end of the 7th grade that required them to spend every day together.

They eventually formed Sunset Curve a couple of years later, and by then, Reggie was closer with Luke and Alex than he was with any of his other siblings. 

And that broke his sibling's hearts because they knew how true that fact was. 

Reggie's fifteen-year-old brother, Ross, was sniffling, letting go of Regan's hand now and then to blow his nose. On the outside, he seemed like the calmest of the family, but on the inside, he was like Alice from Alice in Wonderland when she was turned into a giant.

The truth was, he had been the last family member to see Reggie before he died. 

Ross blamed himself for Reggie's death. 

Here is why:

Reggie had practically started living at the garage with Luke and Alex but sometimes he spent the night at his actual house to keep Ross company while their parents fought. 

One of those nights, Reggie told Ross about how he and the band were going to play at the Orpheum. They were allowed to bring a plus one, but Luke and Alex couldn't exactly do that for obvious reasons. That left Reggie asking Ross.

.oOo.

Ross remembered that night so well:

Reggie was lying on Ross's floor in a sleeping bag, right next to Ross who was in the bed. The two weren't really speaking until Reggie spoke up.

"Hey, Ross?" Reggie asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yeah?" Ross answered sleepily. 

"I- I was wondering... Well, you see me and the band got a call today telling us that we'll be playing the Orpheum and that we're allowed to bring a plus one. I was wondering if you wanted to come with us to see us play there?" Reggie seemed to hold his breath while waiting for Ross's response. 

Ross sucked in a sharp breath in surprise. "Wow, Reg, that's- that's awesome! That's so freaking cool! You're playing the Orpheum!"

Reggie sat up. "So do you want to come?"

Ross turned to face his brother. "When will it be?"

Reggie perked up. "July 22."

"Oooh," Ross winced. "Sorry, bro, I have plans with my buddies that night."

Reggie frowned in disappointment. "Oh... Okay."

They both went back to their original positions.

"'Night, Rossie," Reggie murmured.

Ross made a face. "Ew, don't call me that. 'Night, Reg. Love you."

Reggie smiled sleepily. "Love you, too, lil bro." 

Later that week, Reggie left his house for the Orpheum, giving Ross a final hug goodbye.

That was the last hug he had gotten from Reggie.

That was the last time he saw Reggie (unless you count him seeing Reggie in a casket, of course).

So, yeah, Ross blamed himself for Reggie's death. If he had just canceled his plans with his friends and gone with Reggie and his friends to the Orpheum, he could've...

He could've saved them... Somehow, he could've convinced them not to eat those street dogs. 

But he didn't.

His family had only just found out about it a couple of weeks ago and had been trying to convince him that it wasn't his fault. He had no idea what would have happened. 

Ross knew it was his fault that his big brother died.

It was all his fault.

.oOo.

The Peters took out a black pick that Reggie used to play his bass just as the Patterson's were doing next to them. The family didn't know that Reggie hated using picks when playing his bass. He preferred using his fingers because it "just feels right and more comfortable". Sometimes, he did use a pick, but most of the time he didn't.

Sadly, Reggie wasn't close to his family anymore when he started playing bass, so none of them knew this. 

The matriarch of the Peters placed Reggie's (barely used) pick on the ground, along with some red roses in front of his grave that read: 

Reginald J. Peters

March 28, 1978 - July 22, 1995

Beloved son, brother, best friend, and musician 

Live to the fullest, for life is all too short.

The Peters family let out a loose, wet sob as one. About four feet away from them was the Mercer family.

The Mercers, I guess you could say, were the perfect family. They were prim and proper, always neat, got good grades, had good jobs, and loved their children with all their hearts. They just didn't like how the world was changing. They were... how can I say this without being rude?... old fashioned.

.oOo.

When Alex came out to his parents, Audrey and David, they totally freaked out. They didn't like that their little boy was one of those people. They already hated how he dressed in pink, had anxiety, wore ripped clothing, and was in a rock band. It was ruining their perfect family's image!

So when Alex told his parents that he was gay, his father shouted some very... um... rude things at him, while his mother cried loudly in the background. David gave Alex ten minutes to pack and get out of his house. As soon as he had shoved all of his stuff into his backpack, Alex's father grabbed him by the end of his pink hoodie and had quite literally thrown Alex out the door, onto the sidewalk. 

Alex ran to the garage where Luke and Reggie were living, and Sunset Curve made it official. The boys were now their own little, broken family that couldn't be torn apart no matter what. 

When Alex was kicked out of his house, his little sister (thirteen years old at the time), Melissa, was away at a sleepaway camp for two weeks. When she came home asking where Alex was, who was practically her best friend, David and Audrey didn't have the heart to tell her what they did and what her brother was, so they told her that Alex had run away. 

Melissa's heart was broken and every night she would sit by her window waiting for her brother that would never return. Every night, she would just pray to God for hours on end, asking Him to bring her big brother back to her. 

One day, about a month after Alex had left, Melissa walked in on her parents discussing what happened and they didn't realize that she was there. She heard the entire story, and in her fury, Melissa marched right up to them and screamed in their faces for about an hour. 

She screamed about how they were liars.

She screamed about how she didn't care that Alex was gay. He was still her brother! Her blood!

She screamed about how they should have loved him and supported him for who he was instead of throwing him away like last week's newspaper. 

She screamed about how they should be ashamed of themselves and that they were the monsters, not Alex.

By the time Melissa stopped screaming at her parents, her voice was hoarse and she was in need of a drink of water. Her parents stared at her, shocked. Melissa glared at them and left the living room in a huff, slamming the door once she reached her bedroom. 

Audrey collapsed onto the couch, David soon following her. They sat there and what their daughter said to them finally started to sink in. Tears pricked at the back of David's eyes and Audrey started crying loudly, both of them realizing what they had done was wrong.

They should have supported him. They weren't worthy to be Alex's parents. How could they do this to their own flesh and blood?! They were so blinded by their beliefs, they didn't realize or care about how painful it was for Alex! Melissa was right! They were the worst parents ever!

The next day, Audrey and David got up, woke Melissa, apologized, and set out looking for Alex. They never found him. The three family members walked back up to their house, tiredness stinging their eyes along with tears. 

Melissa had hoped that she would find her brother and see him again. She prayed as they walked up the driveway, asking for about the hundredth time for God to bring her big brother back to her.

The family went and sat down in their living room, but as soon as they sat down, red and blue lights flashed throughout the room. There was a knock on the front door and David opened it, his wife and daughter standing behind him curiously. In front of the family was a police officer clutching his hat with a sad, mournful look on his face. 

The officer told them that there had a horrible accident involving very bad food poisoning down at Sunset Boulevard. The victims were Luke Patterson, Reggie Peters (Melissa gasped as she heard his name. His brother, Ross, was one of her best friends and crush), and Alex Mercer. The Mercer family fell to their knees as one. Melissa let out a cry of anguish, David couldn't bring himself to breathe, and Audrey had dropped onto the floor into a dead faint. 

The next week, everyone attended the three boy's funeral. As her parents cried, Melissa peered down into Alex's casket, almost puking at how pale his skin was and how the bruises under his eyes made him look like a corpse.

Probably because he was a corpse. 

In the end, Melissa did get her brother back like she prayed and begged for every night and day for the past month.

Just not this way.

She wanted an alive Alex, with tan skin, and happiness in his clear green eyes.

Instead, she got a dead Alex with pale, cold skin, and non-existent light in his now glassy eyes. 

No.

This was not how things were supposed to go. 

.oOo.

The Mercers gathered around Alex's grave and placed pink azalea flowers in the small vase in front of it. Melissa grabbed two drumsticks out of the back of her pants pocket and tenderly laid them down in front of the flowers. 

Alex's grave said:

Alexander J. Mercer

October 14, 1978 - July 22, 1995

Beloved son, brother, musician

Beloved by family, cherished by friends.

Sobs wracked Melissa's body and David rubbed her back soothingly, muttering soft words to her as his own tears streamed down his face. Audrey seemed to clench and unclench her fists. She had an uncharacteristically angry look on her face and steam seemed to be coming out of her ears.

Melissa liked to call this look "Momma Bear Mode", which happened to be quite rare. 

As Melissa and David began noticing this, they slowly crawled away. You did not want to be in the way of an angry Audrey.

The Peters noticed this and looked confused as to why Audrey was mad.

The Pattersons looked up when they realized everyone was silent and bewilderment plastered across their faces when they realized that Audrey was glaring right at Emily. 

"Audrey, why-" Emily started to ask.

Audrey blew up. "Why?! WHY?! If your son hadn't become friends with my Alex and dear Reginald, we wouldn't be in this mess and we'd all be happy families," Audrey snarled. Everyone watched with big eyes. "Because of your son's bad influence, my Alex is dead!"

Now, normally Audrey is a very calm person but losing the son that she never got to apologize to made her feel like punching someone with words and that someone happened to be Emily Patterson. Emily seemed to be feeling the same way. 

Emily drew up to her full height, her face turning red. "Don't you dare bring my son into this, Audrey. Nobody is to blame for the boys' deaths, especially not any of the victims. Not my son."

The two women kept arguing and everyone was watching it like it was a tennis match. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. 

Mary looked miffed when she heard Reggie's name thrown into the argument and she stood up to interfere. However, before she could do anything, Emily said something that made everyone halt. 

"Oh, yeah? Well, at least my son knew that I loved him, unlike Alex, Audrey," Emily spat, her eyes like a cold, yet fiery furnace.

Audrey's eyes turned dark and as cold as Emily's. "At least my son actually loved me, Emily," she snapped. 

Everyone sucked in a sharp breath as the words were exchanged. 

David and John got up quickly to hold their wives back from scratching each other's eyes out, but a loud sob was heard. It didn't come from any of the families.

Everyone looked around and jumped when they saw a teenage girl sitting between Luke's and Reggie's graves. She wasn't there before!

Everyone jumped up and backed away from her. "Who the heck are you?" Ross asked.

The girl looked up. As soon as she saw them, she grinned and hopped to her feet. She walked towards them while waving her hand. The mascara running down her cheeks immediately vanished. 

"Witchcraft," Audrey whispered fearfully.

"Well, you're not wrong, I guess," the girl stated cheerfully. "I am a major Potterhead and I'm a girl, so in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, that would make me a witch." 

Audrey whimpered.

The girl turned to Ross with a wide smile on her face. "Hey, Ross! To answer your question, y'all can call me Sam."

Ross gulped. How did she know his name?! 

The girl smiled even wider. "I know your name, Ross, because I created you. I created all of you."

Ross's eyes widened along with everyone else's. "Are you- are you God?" Melissa asked Sam.

Sam's eyes went big. "Oh, no. I'm uh- I'm a human like y'all. I'm not Him."

Melissa slumped. "Oh."

Sam's eyes twinkled. "Oh, man, I had so much fun writing you. I admit, the Mercer family was the easiest to write. Great job on that talking to you gave your parents btw. I was so proud when I wrote it. You are a queen!"

"Oh, um... thank you?" Melissa asked, confused. 

Writing me??? she mouthed to Ross.

Ross shrugged. Maybe she escaped from the mental hospital. he mouthed back to her. 

Sam glared at the two of them. "Oi! I did not come from a mental facility! Although, my friends do tell me on a daily basis that I need to go to one ASAP."

The three families stared at her a little more than just creeped out. 

"Why are you here?" Regan spoke up.

"I came here to help y'all. It's a little project I thought of at three in the morning one day and I thought it would be fun to do."

Emily stared at her. "And you just expect us to just agree to do that?"

"Yup," said Sam, popping the P. "Mainly because it has something to do with Luke, Alex, and Reggie."

Mary squeaked. "What? Our sons are dead!"

Sam gave a little laugh. It was a laugh that made you think that she knew something no one else did. "Yeah, I know. Trust me, I know. However, they might be dead, but they are not truly gone from this world, you see. And I'm not talking about all that cheesy stuff about them being with us in our hearts. I mean it quite literally."

Melissa sucked in a sharp breath. "What do you mean?"

The twinkle in Sam's eyes intensified and she held out her arms. "Grab onto my arms and I'll show you."

Everyone gathered around Sam's arms hesitantly. 

Sam rolled her eyes. "Jesus, y'all, I'm not gonna bite. I may be ashy but I don't have Corona or anything."

Everyone grabbed onto her arms. "What's Corona?" Ryan asked curiously.

Sam scowled deeply. "Maybe I'll explain it to y'all later. Let's just say it's a disease and it's causing a worldwide pandemic and lockdown."

Ross gaped at her. "How have we not heard about this?"

Sam grinned cheekily. "Probably because it's not gonna happen for another twenty-four years."

David frowned. "Then how would you know-"

"I'm from the future," Sam interrupted.

Everyone stared at her.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road! My back has been aching all day and I wanna sit down. Scoliosis and unwrapping Christmas presents all day is not a good combination."

"But it's summer...." Regan said with a small frown.

Sam grinned. "Yeah, well, in my time, it's Christmas day. Er, night, considering it's 10:35 p.m. right now." 

Before anyone could say anything else, Sam closed her eyes and the shadows from the trees started gathering around them like a tornado. The shadows wrapped around them like a blanket, and without further ado, the three families disappeared with a final whisper from the black curtains draped around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- I AM DONE! YAAAAAAY! I hope y'all liked it! It's a lot longer than the last one lol.
> 
> Sorry about all the badly written angst. It's my first time writing angst and I'm terrible when it comes to emotions (my family freaked when they saw me cry at Unsaid Emily and was like "Whoa, she has emotions!" and "She's not completely heartless after all!", so yeah), so I'm sorry that the angst sucked.
> 
> Y'all like the families? They are all my OCs! Who else ships Ross and Melissa?
> 
> The gravestones... I had to look up the birthdays, and I got Reggie's and Luke's, but Alex's was not there, so I made his up. 
> 
> I think this chapter is really good ngl. It was hard tho. I had writer's block for most of it and I only wrote the Mercer's part today. 
> 
> I saw the new Wonder Woman today! It was pretty good but I like the first one better. 
> 
> MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Please leave comments and don't be a silent reader! The comments will be like my Christmas gifts from y'all! 
> 
> Thanks for all the reads and kudos!
> 
> Peace and Ancient Greece,
> 
> Sam ;)
> 
> P.S. For Ao3, I'm posting it today instead of yesterday b/c my WiFi went out before I could post it yesterday.


	3. Introductions... Sort of

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Heyo, I hope everyone had a good New Year! Hopefully, 2021 will be better. 
> 
> This took forever to write so I hope y'all like it! Do y'all know how hard it is to write about yourself in the third person? (I'm Sam if you didn't realize.)
> 
> In the earlier comments, I told y'all I'm gonna do something evil that will only last one episode. Well, I did it. It doesn't sound as evil on here as it did in my head but oh, well.
> 
> Please leave comments! Don't be a silent reader! 
> 
> THANK Y'ALL FOR THE COMMENTS, KUDOS, BOOKMARKS, AND HITS!!!
> 
> I DID NOT EDIT THIS! SORRY!
> 
> Peace,
> 
> Sam :)

" _AHHHHHHHHHHH_!!!" 

A loud thud was heard and groaning soon followed it. A pile of people landed on the floor and slowly got to their feet. The group consisted of the Mercers, the Peters, and the Pattersons (excluding the three dead boys). It also contained people that the three families had never seen before in their lives. 

Everyone climbed to their feet and separated into two groups, looking at each other wearily. 

"Who the hell are you?" Ryan asked the strangers with an untrusting glint in his eye. Regan smacked him up at the head for using bad language. 

"We should be asking you guys the same thing," a short Latino boy said, narrowing his eyes.

A tall man with salt and pepper hair and icy blue eyes placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. " _Mijo_ , I would advise keeping your mouth shut until we know what is going on." 

Ross spoke up. "Yeah, um, speaking of which. WHAT THE _HECK_ IS GOING ON???" 

A pretty black girl with almond eyes and long braids snorted. "Don't you think we would tell you if we knew?" 

"Well, that depen-" Melissa started to say, only to be interrupted. 

"Hey, what's the last thing any of us can remember?" Mary asked the two groups. 

Everyone thought for a moment. "That weird girl came and told us that she was working on a project involving Luke, Alex, and Reggie and we are supposed to be a part of it," David said in confusion. "Then she told us to grab her arms and she made the shadows swallow us." 

Everyone murmured in agreement. Everyone except the blue-eyed man and the girl with the braids. They just stared at everyone like they were cuckoo.

"Um, what?" Flynn asked. "That never happened to me! I just woke up here when I felt someone sit on me!"

"Oops," Ryan muttered guiltily. The girl glared at him.

The man regarded everyone suspiciously. "Same here, Flynn. I think it's safe to say that you guys are, uh... how should I put this politely... crazy."

Cries of "Hey!" and "Rude!" went throughout the room.

Carlos silently raised his hand, while his other hand clutched a pretty Latina girl's hand. The girl hadn't spoken at all. She just seemed to be staring at the group with a mix of horror and fascination on her face. 

"Um, actually, Dad," the boy said. "The same thing that happened to these people happened to me and Julie."

The man peered down at his son. "Wait, seriously?"

The Latina girl nodded, not taking her eyes off the three families. 

The man sighed. "Well, that's nice. A girl that can control shadows dragged us all here to this..." he looked around. "Movie theater?" 

Everyone turned around and finally took in their surroundings. 

"Why- why are we in a theater?" Melissa asked. "I thought we were gonna do something involving Luke, Alex, and Reggie?" 

The Latina girl made an odd choking noise and the other girl and boy started whispering frantically to her, too soft for anyone else to hear. She started replying back to them and they all looked a little panicked but in awe at the same time. 

The Latina girl gestured to the families who were still discussing how they got there and their eyes widened even more. The boy said something and that made the Latina girl perk up and start looking around the room. She seemed to be looking for something- or someone- while the other two just watched her anxiously. 

Her shoulders slumped and she turned back to the others. The boy patted her arm comfortingly and the other girl had disappointment marring her face. 

All of a sudden, a small ball of golden light appeared in the middle of the room. It looked like an electric, smaller version of the sun, and for some reason, it didn't hurt anyone's eyes. Everyone gathered around it in a circle curiously. The ball started to grow bigger and bigger until it was the size of a large beanbag. Everyone started to back away slowly when the ball started to vibrate violently.

Everyone clung to each other in fear. "What's happening?!" Melissa shouted with her arms wrapped around Ross, her red hair whipping in the wind that appeared out of nowhere. 

Nobody answered. They were all transfixed by the pulsing ball of golden light in front of them. 

Then, there was a small pop and the ball burst into a rain of golden sparkles. The sparkles reminded Regan of Tinkerbell's pixie dust from _Peter Pan_. 

In place of the ball stood the girl that had taken everyone to the theater. 

"Whoa..." the little boy whispered. 

The girl chuckled. "Thanks, little dude. I really do like making dramatic entrances. Judging by y'all's reactions, I'm gonna give this entrance a 10/10!" 

Everyone blinked and stared at her.

She was tall, around 5'8, yet her shoulders seemed to be a little uneven. Mary vaguely remembered her saying that she had scoliosis right before she had taken them. The girl had pretty caramel hair that came down to her waist, big hazelnut eyes with long lashes, tan skin, and a wide grin on her face that showed off neon green braces.

I guess you could say that she was pretty, but she didn't seem to be trying. She was wearing really light makeup, but she had on pajama pants that were bright pink with dogs on them, fluffy socks, and a light pink T-Shirt that had the faded words 'Self Care' on it and had a faded picture of a basset hound with a towel wrapped around its head doing its nails. The shirt also had small holes all over it, but the females in the room suspected that it was bought like that and that the holes were meant to be a part of the shirt. 

"Who are you and where are we?" Audrey asked fiercely. 

The girl rolled her eyes. "I already _told_ you. My name is Samantha but I go by Sam! And it's pretty obvious where we are. We're in a movie theater, _duh_." 

Everyone glared at her and Sam put her hands in the air defensively. "Hey, you ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer." 

"Okay, but seriously, where are we?" Melissa and Ross snapped at the same time. They glanced at each other in surprise and Melissa quickly looked away, a light blush dancing on her cheeks. 

Sam smirked knowingly as she looked between Ross and Melissa before looking at the entire group. Sam shrugged. "It's complicated. But don't worry. I'll explain everything as soon as I get everyone here. I really don't want to repeat myself." 

"There's _more_ people?" Mitch asked. 

"Yeah," Sam said. "I forgot to bring them when I was kidnapping- er, I mean _borrowing_ \- you guys to get y'all here."

Sam glanced at her wrist like she was checking the time, even though there was no watch on her wrist. "In fact, they should be arriving right... about... now!"

A purple flash of light appeared throughout the room and when it faded, there was a group of people that the three families had never seen before, yet the other group of people instantly recognized them. 

"Tía!" The Latino and Latina ran to a Hispanic woman and attacked her with hugs.

"Oh, I have missed you two so much!" She exclaimed, pinching their cheeks. "Where are we?"

"Ask her," said Carlos, pointing to Sam.

"Uh, excuse me," a girl that reminded everyone of a doll asked in an overly sweet, snobby voice. "Who are you people? I was about to get my mani-pedi at the spa!"

Everyone made sounds of disgust and turned away from the snobby girl. 

There was a man standing behind the girl. He had dark brown, medium-length hair and brown eyes. He also has a trimmed beard. He was staring at the three families with an expression similar to what the Latina girl was wearing on her face a couple of minutes before. "Oh my God," he said to himself. 

Everyone turned to look at him curiously. He looked a little familiar to the three families but they couldn't remember where they had met him.

The Latina girl's eyes widened. "Trevor? Carrie? What are you doing here?"

"I- I don't know. But, um, why are there a whole bunch of people that I knew from my childhood and I haven't seen in a decade but they seem to have gotten younger in here with us?"

"Uh, where am I?" A voice chimed in as everyone started freaking out once the man finished his sentence.

The Latina girl, the snobby girl, and the pretty girl with almond eyes whirled around.

"Nick?!" They all shouted.

He gave them a confused smile. "Yep. That's me. So where are we?"

Nick had brownish blonde hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a letterman's jacket with the number 11 on it as well as the letters LF. 

Sam marched up to a small stage in front of the ginormous movie screen. She held out her hand and a beautifully crafted wand appeared in her palm. She pointed it at her throat and said in a clear voice, "Sonorous!" 

"Testing, testing, did I do the spell correctly?" She asked herself, her voice booming like thunder across the room.

Everyone immediately quieted down. 

"Okay, everyone, I'm gonna need y'all to sit down and talk quietly. I'll explain everything soon but first, I need Julie, Flynn, and Carlos to come with me for a sec."

The three kids got to their feet and everyone shot them concerned and worried looks as they headed to the door Sam was guiding them to.

When Sam saw their looks, she made a face at them. "Stop acting as if I'm gonna kill them. They're some of my favorite characters. I could never do that to them! We'll be gone for about three minutes, don't worry."

* * *

Sam led the three kids into a room and closed the door. "Hey, guys!"

"Hi," Julie, Flynn, and Carlos chorused back to her.

"Okay, so y'all are wondering where the boys are, am I correct?" Sam asked.

"How the heck did you know that?" Flynn demanded.

Sam laughed. "Because I'm the one that put those thoughts in your heads!"

"Excuse me?" Julie asked incredulously.

Sam ignored her. "Okay, so here's the deal. I'm gonna make the boys visible to the three of you and no one else. So basically it'll be like how it is usually like for Julie, just adding on Flynn and Carlos, okay?"

Flynn, Carlos, and Julie looked at each other, shrugged, and said, "Okay."

Carlos looked excited. "I can finally see ghosts! They can tell me all about their ghostie-life!"

Flynn smiled dreamily. "And I can finally have my eye candy longer than three minutes."

Julie gave her a sly look. "Are you sure it's all the guys? 'Cause I have seen you eyeing a certain bass player the longest during our practices."

Flynn spluttered. "That's not- Oh my God- Jules-"

Julie snickered along with Sam and Carlos.

"Okay, I'm gonna get the boys," Sam said, still laughing a little. She snapped her fingers and the boys appeared next to Julie. Carlos looked completely amazed as he saw the ghosts he'd been trying to catch appear right in front of his eyes. 

When Julie opened her mouth to explain to the guys what was going on, Luke interrupted. "We already know everything. We were in a room that had a T.V. that showed us everything."

Julie nodded and then a troubled look came over her face. "Wait, Sam."

"Hm?" Sam asked.

"Why aren't you letting the families see the boys? The boys have been wanting to see them for 25 years and now you're just denying them that! They'll see their families but they won't be able to talk to them and the families won't be aware that they're there! Doesn't that seem a little cruel?" Julie asked as the boys turned to look at Sam.

"Yeah, I want to apologize to my parents!" Luke said.

"I want to talk to my siblings!" Reggie exclaimed.

"And I want to explain to Melissa about what happened!" Alex said, making sure to avoid including his parents.

Sam shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't allow that."

"Why not?" Julie gaped at her.

Sam shrugged. "Because I'm mean. I want to see some suffering before I let anyone see you guys. I want to see how much torture y'all can take knowing that your family is right there yet you can't talk to them."

Everyone blew up at her. " _SERIOUSLY_?!" They all yelled. 

Flynn shook her head in disappointment. "That's just evil!"

Sam grinned. "Yeah, well, there is a reason why most people say that Slytherin is the "evil" house. We can be really cruel when we want to be."

Luke snarled at her. "Let. Me. See. My. Parents."

"No," Sam said stubbornly.

Luke lunged at her and Reggie and Alex had to hold him back. 

Sam rolled her eyes. "Chill, dude, it's only gonna last the first episode. Then, I'll make y'all visible and solid to everyone."

Everyone glared at her once more. "Fine," Luke spat. "You better not break your promise. I'll kill you if you do."

Sam smiled sweetly at him. "Ha, you can try! You're a ghost and I'm immortal! It'll take you a while!"

Luke scowled.

Carlos raised his hand slowly.

"Yeah, little dude?" Sam asked him.

Carlos gulped, a bit intimidated by the immortal, powerful being in front of him. "What did you mean by 'it'll only last one episode'?"

Sam smiled, her neon green braces blinding everyone. "I'll explain that once we get back to everyone. Follow me, peoples!"

* * *

Sam led the kids and ghosts out of the room and back into the theater where everyone was chattering nervously. 

Sam climbed up onto the stage and did the Sonorous Charm again, while the kids, including the ghosts, made themselves comfortable in their movie recliners. Sam, Julie, Flynn, and Carlos noticed the boys looking longingly at their families, who were completely oblivious that their dead sons were sitting right behind them invisible. 

"Hello, everybody! My name is Sam and I know y'all are really confused about what is going on right now, so I'll explain it!"

Everyone looked curious as to why they were here. 

Sam smiled. "Well, first, I would like to say that I took two groups from two different times, that's why most of y'all don't recognize each other!" 

The room burst into conversation. 

"Silence!" Sam screamed. 

Everyone quieted down.

"When I say the year that you are from, I want the people from that time to raise their hands, okay?"

"Okay..." Everyone said while looking around the room at the people that were apparently from a different time. 

"Okay, people from 1996, raise your hands!"

The three families raised their hands hesitantly. The other group stared at them. "So that's what people wore in the nineties? Uh, ew. Talk about ugly and weird," said the snobby girl.

Melissa looked down at herself, along with everyone else. _What's wrong with my clothes?_ She thought, a little insecure.

"There's nothing wrong with our clothes, Lissa," Ross comforted his girl best friend. "She's just being mean."

"Yeah, okay..." Melissa replied, a little flustered when she realized Ross's arm was around her shoulders.

Sam beamed. "Great! Now people from my own time! Wait, it's not my time anymore because we just had New Years' and now it's 2021..."

David looked confused. "But when you took us you said it was Christmas!"

"Hey, shadow traveling that many people was really hard! It was gonna take a while!" Sam exclaimed. 

"Huh," David said, still perplexed.

"Anyway," Sam stated cheerfully. "People from 2020 raise your hands!"

The other group raised their hands. The 1996 group looked shocked. "2020?!" Emily exclaimed. 

Sam and the 2020 group nodded. 

The 1996 group slumped in their seats. "Oh my God..." Audrey muttered.

Sam clapped her hands. "Okay, now that that is done with, I have some more announcements before we start! First, where we are!"

Everyone sat up straight, eager to learn where on Earth they were.

"We are in limbo! We are not on Earth, we are not in space, we are _nowhere._ "

Everyone gaped at her. She continued talking. "Second of all, y'all need to introduce yourselves! Starting now..."

She pointed to Melissa. Melissa stood up awkwardly. "Um, hi, my name is Melissa Mercer." She sat back down, her face flaming red. Alex wanted to go over and attack her with hugs and kisses and tell her he was sorry for abandoning her, but because of Sam, he couldn't. He could only watch.

Ross stood up. "I'm Ross Peters." Reggie bounced around in his seat like an overexcited puppy when he saw his little brother. 

"I'm David Mercer." Alex flinched violently when he remembered the last time he saw his father.

"I'm Audrey Mercer."

"I'm Ryan-"

"And I'm Regan-"

"Peters," they said together. "We're twins." Reggie looked like he was about to burst with happiness when he saw the twins.

"I'm Mary Davis, formerly Peters." 

"Hello, everyone. I am John Peters."

"THEY GOT DIVORCED! YES!" Reggie screamed, jumping out of his seat and doing a little happy dance.

"I'm Emily Patterson." Luke's head shot up when he saw his mother. He wanted to give her a big hug but he couldn't, all because of Sam. 

"I'm Mitch Patterson." Luke smiled. The last time he saw his father when he was alive was the morning of the day he ran away. 

"Great; we are done with the 1996 group!" Sam said. "Now onto 2020!"

She pointed at Julie, who stood up and gave a little wave. "Hi," she said hesitantly. "I'm Julie Molina." She sat back down. 

The pretty black girl with the braids stood up. "Hey, my name is Flynn Amana. I'm Julie's best friend."

Next came Carlos, who was on her left, while there was an "empty" chair between them containing Reggie. The other two ghosts were next to Julie on her right. "I'm Carlos Molina, ghost hunter extraordinaire!"

Next came the blue-eyed man. He stood up. "Hello, I am Ray Molina."

Next came the Hispanic lady. "My name is Victoria Garcia. I am Julie and Carlos's aunt."

Next came the snob. She rolled her eyes, huffed, and elegantly stood up after uncrossing her legs and plastering on a forced smile. "Hello!" She said in a sugary sweet, high-pitched voice. "My name is Carrie Wilson, lead singer of Dirty Candy!" She sat back down, ignoring the eye rolls Flynn and Julie gave her. 

Next came the boy with golden hair. "Hi, I'm Nick Raceton."

Finally, there was the man that came with Carrie. "Hello," he said nervously, looking at the people from '96. "My name is Trevor Wilson."

Luke, Alex, and Reggie growled at their ex-bandmate but of course, no one could hear them except the three kids. 

Sam clapped her hands excitedly. "Great, now that everyone knows each other, we can start! Does anyone need to use the bathroom?"

Everyone shook their heads no. 

"Lovely, that makes things easier!" Sam said. "Okay, so basically I took y'all here because I want you guys to watch a T.V. show!"

They all stared at her incredulously. " _Seriously_? That's why we're here?" Mitch asked her.

"Oh, but it's not just any TV show! It's about everyone in this room from 2020 and three boys who died in 1995. Three boys who happen to be your sons!"

Everyone gaped at her. Julie started freaking out. How was everyone going to react when they found out she wasn't in a hologram band like they thought, but in a ghost band?!

"Wait, so this show is about Alex, Reggie, and Luke?" Melissa asked. "How is that possible if it's set in 2020?"

Sam chuckled. "Trust me, after watching this show, you'll believe anything is possible. And it's not just about them. The most important character is actually Julie."

Everyone turned to her in shock and Julie sunk down in her seat while Flynn patted her hand and Reggie _tried_ to hug her. He just passed through of course, but it's the thought that counts. 

Popcorn, soda, and candy appeared next to everyone.

"Alrighty, so the bathrooms are over there," Sam said, pointing to the right. "Every time someone says something, the show will pause so y'all won't miss anything. I have a feeling y'all will be talking a lot. If y'all want to sleep or eat stuff that isn't movie food, there are two rooms over there that have bunk beds and a dining hall. Any questions?"

A chorus of "No"s went throughout the room. 

"Great, now let's get to the good stuff!" Sam said as a wicked grin spread across her face.

The lights dimmed and Sam bounced over to her own seat, which was in the front next to Melissa. 

The screen lit up and everyone leaned forward eagerly. They were all excited to see what waited for them on the Other Side of the movie screen. 


	4. Part 1 of Episode 1: Now or Never

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Heeeey! I'm not dead! Although, I probably will be once y'all are done beating me up for not updating in forever lol. This chapter was sooooo hard to write y'all! Luckily, I had help!
> 
> Andrea is actually one of the readers that read this story! She gave me the script for the show as I could not find it and in turn, I made her a character in this story! Throughout messaging her, I have found a good friend and I'm very glad that we met. So yeah, if it wasn't for her, this chapter wouldn't have been out for a loooooong time. 
> 
> And no, this does not mean that I am letting people be characters in my story. One time thing, guys! 
> 
> Anywho, I did not edit this chapter! I hope y'all liked it!
> 
> Okay, I gotta go now. I have started physical therapy for my scoliosis and now I have to do my exercises.
> 
> Peace and Ancient Greece, 
> 
> Sam :)

_"Alrighty, so the bathrooms are over there," Sam said, pointing to the right. "Every time someone says something, the show will pause so y'all won't miss anything. I have a feeling y'all will be talking a lot. If y'all want to sleep or eat stuff that isn't movie food, there are two rooms over there that have bunk beds and a dining hall. Any questions?"_

_A chorus of "No"s went throughout the room._

_"Great, now let's get to the good stuff!" Sam said as a wicked grin spread across her face._

_The lights dimmed and Sam bounced over to her own seat, which was in the front next to Melissa._

_The screen lit up and everyone leaned forward eagerly. They were all excited to see what waited for them on the Other Side of the movie screen._

* * *

**A black screen appeared and then a big red N appeared on the screen, making a big "Duh-dun" sound.**

"Wait," Julie said, looking confused. "The show is on Netflix? How have we not seen it before?" 

Sam brightened. "Oh, that's because it's not on here in your dimension. You guys have everything we have except this show."

"Ohhhh," everyone from 2020 went, while the people from the '90s looked confused. 

Sam went on explaining. "You know Kenny Ortega? The guy who made Descendants?" Everyone from 2020 nodded. "Yeah, he's the one who made this show. Cool, right?"

Trevor smiled a little bit. "I met him once. He was really nice. Great sense of humor." 

The 90's people looked even more confused. "What the hell is Netflix?" Ryan asked. 

Sam grinned along with everyone else. "It's an American over-the-top content platform streaming service and production company."

"Oh."

"Let's continue, shall we?" The screen unpaused.

**The** **N spread into a rectangle of rainbow colors and in its place, new words stood. It said, "A Netflix Original Series". Then, new words appeared. It said, "Hollywood 1995".**

The families paled as they realized what this was. Julie opened and closed her mouth in shock. She had figured it out. Trevor's breath hitched as he realized what was happening. Reggie, Luke, and Alex glanced nervously between their families. They were about to see how they died first hand. That _couldn't_ be good for their mental health. 

Ray, Carrie, Carlos, and Nick glanced at the others in worry, trying to figure out what was wrong with them. Carlos had only just found out about the ghosts; he didn't know when or how they died, heck, he didn't even know their names! Flynn looked at her best friend curiously. She bit her lip. Why were Julie and the guys so nervous looking? Did it have something to do with their deaths? Flynn was never told how or when the guys died either.

Ray, Carrie, and Nick... well, they just didn't have a clue why everyone was so sweaty all of a sudden. 

**Loud wind blew throughout the theater and a big, glowing, blue sign that said, "The Orpheum" loomed in front of everyone's faces.**

Ross turned to Sam with a panicked, yet angry expression on his face. "Are you seriously about to make us watch this?!"

"Yup!" Sam chirped happily. 

Audrey had tears in her eyes. "W-Why?!" 

Sam sighed. "Have any of you guys ever even heard them play before?"

_Who is them?_ Nick, Carrie, and Ray wondered. 

The families shifted uncomfortably. "No," they muttered.

Sam placed her hands on her hips. "And why is that?"

Emily looked up and said in a small, guilty voice, "None of us liked that they were in a rock band and putting it before school, especially Mitch and me. We all got together one day and decided that we would never want to hear them play if they continued this. We all just thought that they would be really bad anyway, so we had no desire to hear it." 

Luke spluttered. "I- We- Our music is _amazing,_ thank you very much!" Alex and Reggie just sat there looking _deeply_ offended. 

Julie pursed her lips trying to hide her grin. Emily and the others really had no idea that their sons were absolutely amazing. She wondered how they would react when they heard them for the first time. 

Sam snorted loudly. "Y'all are in for a treat then." Everyone looked confused at her comment but turned back to the screen. The screen unpaused. 

**Cars and honking were heard in the background, along with static.**

 _I wonder why there's static?_ The families thought. 

**A squeal was heard from the static and then a rhythm guitar started to play. Another sign loomed in everyone's faces that read, "SUNSET CURVE SHOWCASE - SOLD OUT".**

Ross jumped around in his seat excitedly. "That was the name of the band," he shouted. David snapped his fingers. "I knew it sounded familiar!" 

Julie rolled her eyes. _Not even knowing their son's band name. Honestly!_

**Alex appeared on the screen, sweaty and his blond hair hanging in his face. He had on a light pink shirt and a golden necklace.**

The Mercer family gasped loudlyas they saw their dead son and brother on the screen. 

_"_ ALEX!" Reggie screamed happily, throwing his hands into the air. Flynn laughed and shook her head at him. 

**Alex had drumsticks in his hands and he hit them together three times while shouting, _"ONE, TWO, THREE!"_**

Alex went bright red when Luke, Reggie, Julie, Carlos, and Flynn turned to look at him with bright smiles on their faces. 

**_Take off, last stop_** The camera zoomed out to show four boys playing instruments and singing.  
 ** _Countdown 'til we blast open the top  
Face first, full charge  
Electric hammer to the heart_**

The families gaped stupidly. "No way..." Melissa whispered.

"Holy shi-" Ryan muttered before being smacked by Regan.

"Amazing..." the adults breathed. Trevor's eyes stung as he saw his dead best friends right in front of him.

**_Clocks move forward  
But we don't get older, no  
Kept on climbing  
'Til our stars collided  
And all the times we fell behind  
Were just the keys to paradise_**

"I really like the lyrics," Mary said, bobbing her head along to the music. Everyone nodded in agreement. Luke grinned proudly.

**_Don't look down  
'Cause we're still rising  
Up right now  
And even if we hit the ground  
We'll still fly  
Keep dreaming like we'll live forever  
But live it like it's now or never_**

Ray, Nick, and Carrie narrowed their eyes. Those three boys looked extremely familiar to them. Julie looked nervously at the three of them. She could practically _see_ the gears turning in their brains.

**_Hear the noise in my head  
It's calling out like a voice I can't forget  
One life, no regrets  
Catch up, got no time to catch my breath_**

Tears welled up in the Patterson's eyes as they watched their son sing and play his heart out. If only they had supported him... If they had, the boys might not be dead...

_**And clocks move faster  
'Cause it's all we're after now, oh  
Won't stop climbing** _

Julie couldn't help but notice how amazing Luke's arms were. 

**_'Cause this is our time, yeah  
When all the days felt black and white  
Those were the best shades of my life_ **

Ross's heart clenched as he saw his big brother up close. He missed him _so_ much.

Reggie made a face at Luke. "Oh, sure. Just shove me out of the way. I see how it is," Reggie teased. Luke stuck his tongue out at his best friend.

Sam faintly whispered to herself, "Ruke. I _so_ ship them." Reggie and Luke, the only ones who heard the comment, looked at her in confusion. What the heck was a "Ruke"? 

_**Don't look down  
'Cause we're still rising  
Up right now  
And even if we hit the ground  
We'll still fly  
Keep dreaming like we'll live forever  
But live it like it's now or never** _

"Oh my God, those harmonies are _amazing_!" Flynn fangirled. Julie laughed at her friend, while Reggie looked at her brightly. "Thanks!" he said. Flynn blushed, but you couldn't see it well since it was so dark in the room.

_**We ain't searching for tomorrow (tomorrow)  
'Cause we got all we need today (today)  
Living on a feeling that's been running through our veins  
We're the revolution that's been singing in the rain** _

The Mercer parents gawked at the screen. "I didn't know Alex could sing!" David said, shocked.

"Me neither!" Aubrey said.

"I did," Melissa stated. "He used to sing me to sleep when I was little and had nightmares." Audrey and David blinked at her, surprised. 

Meanwhile, the Peters had their eyes wide with shock. "Did anyone know that Reggie could sing?" Mary asked her family.

Everyone shook their heads no. "I just thought he played bass," Ross explained.

"We didn't even know he played bass!" Regan and Ryan wailed. Guilt crept up everyone's throat. They'd been so busy fighting or trying to get away from the fighting, they drifted away from Reggie so much that they felt like they barely knew him anymore. 

_**Don't look down  
'Cause we're still rising  
Up right now  
And even if we hit the ground  
We'll still fly  
Keep dreaming like we'll live forever  
But live it like it's now or never  
It's now or never (now or never)** _

_**With the last note struck, the guys turned around, looked at each other happily, and turned back to their "audience". Luke spread his arms like the Rio de Janeiro Statue of Jesus as if asking, "Well? How'd we do?"** _

Everyone in the theater clapped while the three kinda invisible boys sat there blushing and grinning madly. "That was really good," Julie whispered shyly to Luke. 

He grinned at her. "Thanks, boss." 

Julie shook her head. "It's so weird seeing you guys up there and knowing that you weren't dead there. It's just weird to see an alive you."

"I know what you mean," Luke told her. 

**"Whoo! Excellent!"**

**The place was "filled" with waiters and waitresses wiping down the tables. All of them were clapping and cheering for them.**

**"Sounds great, guys!" a boy yelled.**

**"Whoo!" Another girl shouted while clapping. "Yeah!"**

"OH MY GOD!" Julie, Victoria, Carlos, and Ray shouted as their blood froze in their veins.

"What?" Everyone asked them worriedly.

"That's my mom!" Julie and Carlos screamed.

"Rose was your mom?!" Luke, Alex, and Reggie shouted. 

"Rose... God..." Ray muttered to himself. 

"Mi hermana pequeña..." Victoria whispered.

Sam watched all of this with a wide smile on her face. 

Flynn smacked Julie's shoulder repeatedly. "Signs! What if this is why you're connected to the boys?!"

Julie gaped at the frozen screen containing her mother's face. "Maybe..."

Trevor shifted uncomfortably. We all know why.

Reggie winced and leaned over to Luke. "This is gonna get awkward _reaaal_ fast."

**The** **three boys laughed and started putting up their instruments. Reggie, however, stayed at the microphone. He grabbed the mic and said with a flirty wink, "Thank you! We're Sunset Curve!"**

"Tell your friends," Julie and the guys muttered. Trevor did the same except no one heard him.

Carlos narrowed his eyes at Reggie and the rest of the ghosts. "You better not have flirted with my mom, ghosties."

They just shot him nervous smiles.

Except for Alex.

He just snorted.

**The camera switched to the rhythm guitarist.**

Trevor shifted uncomfortably. He felt like someone was glaring at him even though no one was there. Little did he know that his former best friends were drilling holes into the back of his head. Carrie squinted at the screen along with Nick. That guy looked super familiar to them. 

**"Two bad we wasted that on the soundcheck. That's the tightest we've ever played!" Bobby exclaimed as he did a wrist bump with Luke.**

Sam scratched her head. "I still don't know what he meant by that. Tightest we've ever played? Huh?" 

**" _Wait_ until tonight, man, when this place gets _packed_ with record execs," Luke said with a happy smile on his face. **

**Alex grinned at Luke but turned around when Reggie said to him, "Alex, you were _smoking_." **

**Alex smiled shyly. "Oh no. I was just warming up. _You guys_ were the ones on fire." He gestured to the rest of the band. **

Melissa sighed. "Alex had to be the most modest person I have ever known." David and Audrey agreed with her along with everyone who had met Alex. 

**"Could you just own your awesomeness for _once_?" Reggie pleaded.**

**Alex bit his lip as he looked hesitantly at Luke and the rhythm guitarist. They gave him encouraging nods.**

**"Alright, I was killin' it," Alex chuckled as Luke kneaded his fingers into Alex's shoulders.**

**Luke grinned and suggested excitedly, "Okay, well, I'm thinking we fuel up before the show."**

"ABORT!" Reggie screeched frantically at the screen. "Abort mission! Don't do it, you walnuts!"

"Did you just call us walnuts, Reg?"

"Yes, I did."

**"I'm thinking street dogs."**

**Reggie went "Ooooh" and Alex pointed his drumstick at Luke and said, "Yes."**

All three boys groaned. "Great idea, Luke," Alex grumbled.

The families had strangled looks on their faces. _Don't do it!_ was everyone's thoughts. Meanwhile, the boys silently vowed to never get near another hotdog. Those things were evil.

"Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it," Melissa whispered to herself over and over again, rocking slightly in her chair. Alex shot her a concerned and longing look, while Julie looked at her worriedly. 

Ross placed his arm around Melissa. "Deep breaths, Mel. Deep breaths."

**Bobby hopped off the stage and headed towards the waitress who was apparently Mrs. Molina.**

**“Hey, Bobby. Where you going?” Luke shouted after their rhythm guitarist.**

Trevor winced while Carrie looked at him suspiciously. Did her dad know these guys? It would explain why they looked familiar. 

**“I’m good,” Bobby responded briskly, heading straight for the girl.**

Julie made a face and glanced over to Trevor. Ray had his eyes narrowed at the screen. 

**“Vegetarian,” Bobby explained while the rest of his bandmates joined him by the bar. “I could never hurt an animal.”**

The boys shook their heads and Julie rolled her eyes. Trevor was most definitely _not_ a vegetarian. Back when she and Carrie were friends, he would take them out for cheeseburgers all the time. 

**Rose glanced at him and then looked over to Reggie and Alex, almost completely ignoring Bobby. “You guys are really good,” she told them, her beautiful accent curling the ends of her words.**

Ray's eyes grew sad as he saw his dead wife on screen. Julie soaked up her mom's words, knowing that it would probably be the last time she heard her voice. 

"I almost forgot how beautiful your mom was," Flynn stated quietly. 

Luke looked over at Julie and lightly tugged on a curl of hair. "Looks like we know where you got your hair from," Luke teased, trying to lighten the mood. Julie giggled.

**“Thank you,” Luke responded. He looked almost bashful.**

**“I see a lot of bands. Been in a couple myself. I was really feeling it,” Rose stated.**

**Luke gripped Bobby’s shoulder. “That’s what we do this for.” He pushed Bobby behind him while Bobby scowled lightly. It was _his_ turn to be in the spotlight. “I’m Luke, by the way.” **

_He's flirting with my_ mom _,_ Julie grumbled in her head, side-eyeing Luke's head with a death glare. She could tell that Luke noticed because his entire body went tense like he was about to jump up and run away screaming. It would have been a smart choice. 

**“I’m Reggie.”**

**“Alex.”**

**“Bobby,” Bobby shoved himself in front of Luke again.**

**“Nice meeting you guys,” the girl said politely. “I’m Rose.”**

Ray squeezed his eyes shut to block out the tears. It'd been so long since he had seen or heard her voice... It was just a bit too much for him to handle. Julie took a deep breath as she looked at the screen while Flynn wrapped her arm around her best friend. Carlos' eyes welled up with tears and his lower lip trembled. Victoria pulled a tissue out of her purse and dabbed at her wet eyes. Everyone in the room- except for Carrie- was looking at them with concern.

"Are you okay, guys?" Nick asked quietly. Julie nodded shakily and the show unpaused. 

**Luke stuck his finger in his mouth while keeping eye contact with Rose and placed the finger in Bobby's ear. Bobby made a disgusted but defeated face as if this wasn't the first time Luke had done this.**

All of the kids snickered while the Patterson's sighed in fond exasperation. Julie turned to Luke with pure annoyance written all over her face.

"Did you just wet willy Bobby in front of my mother?"

"Possibly."

Julie's annoyed glare hardened and Luke shrank back in his seat. Nick looked at Julie in confusion. Why was she talking and glaring at air?

**“So, here’s our demo,” Reggie continued in a flirtatious voice. “And a T-shirt- size beautiful.”**

Flynn and Julie shared an understanding look. So _that's_ how the demo ended up in the loft and why the T-shirt was in her mom's trunk that was filled with her old clothes.

Sam tilted her head thoughtfully. "Okay, that actually was a pretty good pick-up line. I would have fallen for it if it happened to me." Reggie looked very happy to hear that while Luke and Alex face-palmed.

**Alex groaned, shaking his head at his three friends.**

"Alex," Julie stared at him.

He looked nervous. "Yeah...?" 

"You are officially my favorite."

Alex's face broke out into a relieved and happy grin while Julie ignored Luke and Reggie's whines of protest. Carlos and Flynn sniggered at the two of them.

**“Thanks. I’ll make sure not to wipe the tables down with this one,” Rose responded, her tone unimpressed.**

Julie was grateful that as cute as the boys were, her mom didn't fall under their spell. That would have been _extremely_ awkward especially since said boys and her dad were in the same room together. 

**“Oh, good call. When they get wet, they kinda just... fall apart in your hands,” Alex informed her in a disappointed tone of voice, using his hands to mimic what he was trying to tell her.**

**“Don’t you guys have to go get hotdogs?” Bobby reminded them.**

**“Yeah.” Luke shoved him back one last time. He was not about to let Bobby get the last shove in. “He had a hamburger for lunch,” he revealed to Rose, smirked, and then lead the boys away.**

**Bobby gave an awkward smile, opening his mouth and closing it as he tried to defend himself. _Tried_ is the keyword. He didn't get a single word out of his mouth. **

"You guys are total idiots," Julie muttered to the boys.

The three boys batted their eyes and puckered their lips. "Oh, please," Luke smiled charmingly. "You know you love us."

Julie flushed and looked back at the screen, trying to ignore Luke's gaze on her. 

" _Chemistry!_ " Reggie and Alex sang in Luke's ears, making him go bright red. He cuffed them on the heads and turned back to the screen.

**“Now, _that’s_ what I’m talking about!” Luke shouted excitedly as they walked out of the Orpheum’s back doors.**

**“The smell of Sunset Boulevard?” Alex asked in a curious, yet sarcastic, manner.**

**“No,” Luke laughed while kicking at a puddle. “What that girl said in there tonight.”**

Luke picked at a loose string on his sleeve.

Flynn wrinkled her nose. "Who _knows_ what was in that puddle. You could've splashed in pee for all we know!"

Luke cringed. "Haven't thought of that. I've never liked those shoes anyway. I don't wear them often."

**“About our music. Right? It’s like an energy- it connects us to people. They can feel us when we play…. I want that connection to everybody,” he explained dreamily, his arms draped over Reggie’s and Alex’s shoulders.**

The families hung their heads in shame. The boys had tried to make that connection with them one too many times and they had always pushed them away in the end. No wonder the three teens had decided to run away.

**“Then we’re gonna need more T-shirts,” Reggie joked. Luke chuckled softly in a fond manner.**

**“Let’s go, boys,” he instructed his friends, flipping his hood up. He was wearing a jacket- with sleeves- for once.**

Julie's eyes went big. "Whoa, you're wearing sleeves!" Her voice was astonished. "I thought you were allergic to them!"

Ray and Victoria looked at her weirdly. "Julie? Why are you talking to the air?"

Julie stumbled over her words as she tried to make an excuse.

**Reggie lagged behind, handing out T-shirts to the girls that were waiting in line to see them. It took them a few seconds to recognize him but when they did, they totally freaked out as he walked away with a happy smirk on his face.**

Flynn rolled her eyes at Reggie. "You are _such_ a flirt."

Reggie shrugged and grinned playfully. "Hey, might as well put my good looks to use. We don't want all _this_ ," he gestured to his body, "to go to waste."

A faint red tint appeared in Flynn's cheeks and she looked back at the screen. Reggie looked confused. Did he say something wrong?

**The next scene started with Alex putting pickles on his hot dog with a mildly disgusted expression. Those pickles happened to be right next to a pair of jumper cables.**

Julie leaned over to the boys and hissed furiously, "You told me that you died by eating hotdogs! You never mentioned that they were the most unsanitary hotdogs to ever exist!" 

Luke rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, but we were desperate."

Alex winced. "That was definitely not our finest moment...." 

Julie groaned and smacked her forehead repeatedly with the flat of her wrist.

**“Hey, sorry. I got some pickle juice on your battery cables,” he told the vendor anxiously, who was standing over a grill.**

**“No problem. It will help with the rust,” the man responded, clapping him on the shoulder and laughing when he saw Alex's alarmed face.**

Melissa's face turned green and everyone's face turned alarmed. "Rust?" Nick asked. "If they eat those hotdogs, they could die!"

Audrey wailed when she heard what Nick said. That had hit too close home for her. 

**"That can't... Okay..." he said in a disturbed voice as he shook his head, but then he walked away anyway. "Whaaat?" he muttered to himself as he went to join his friends.**

**The three friends plopped down on a... couch? In the middle of the street? Huh?... and Luke smiled as if everything in the world was exactly how he wanted it to be.**

Carrie made a disgusted face. "Okay, that is disgusting. Can you imagine all the diseases that couch is holding?" 

As much as everyone didn't like her, they had to agree with her.

"Hey, it was either that or sit in one of those disgusting puddles that may or may not be pee! We had limited options, okay?" Luke defended himself along with Alex and Reggie. 

**“This is awesome, you guys,” he insisted, biting his lip in anticipation. “We’re playing _the Orpheum_. I can’t even _count_ how many bands have played here and then ended up being _huge_!”**

_If only that was the case,_ the three families thought mournfully.

**It was as if Luke's happiness was absorbed by Reggie and Alex. They were practically glowing with joy!**

**"We're gonna be legends," Luke sighed dreamily.**

"And we're gonna be legends soon," Alex whispered. 

It dawned on the band, Flynn, and Carlos that they were supposed to be playing at the Orpheum that night. Were they going to miss their performance if they stayed here any longer?

Sam leaned back to them as if she sensed their worry. "Don't worry," she whispered to them kindly. "I froze time. You won't miss it." She sat back up and continued looking at the screen.

The kids looked at each other in surprise. Had she read their minds?! 

**“Eat up, boys!” he continued, unaware of what was about to happen, raising his hot dog in cheers.**

**" _NO_**!" everyone shouted, including Luke, Alex, and Reggie. 

"DON'T DO IT, REG!" Ross and Ryan shouted. Regan and her parents shook.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Melissa yelled frantically. "Come one, Alex! Be smart!"

David and Audrey were on their feet and screaming at the screen hysterically. Alex was very surprised, to say the least. His parents hated him! Why would they freak out over his death?

Mitch and Emily sat in their seats sobbing with their hands clasped together with each other. 

Ray looked at the screen horrified. These kids were going to die and there was nothing they could do about it! According to Sam, these kids were real! They were actually going to die!

Bobby had bent down to where his head was tucked between his knees. His body wracked with sobs as he saw his best friends sign their own death sentence. Carrie placed her hand on his back and rubbed soothing circles on it. She didn't know how her dad knew these boys, but she knew that he held a special place in his heart for them. That much was obvious. 

**“Because after tonight, everything changes….”**

_Well, it definitely changed, that's for sure... Just not in the way we hoped._ Luke thought to himself. 

**The boys took a huge bite out of their hotdogs at the same time. They chewed on happily, Reggie licking his fingers to get rid of the condiments on them.**

Everyone groaned loudly. 

**Suddenly, Alex stopped, an odd expression on his face. That wasn't the only thing on his face. There was a smear of mustard on his lips.**

Reggie laughed and pointed it out to Alex, who in turn, rolled his eyes at his friend. 

**Alex held up his hotdog. "That's a new flavor." His voice was slightly muffled because it was filled with poison- er, I mean a hotdog.**

"Well, at least you noticed it," Julie grumbled. 

"That's not good either way, Jules. They could have stopped eating it, but they didn't," Flynn reminded her.

Julie sighed in defeat.

**Reggie shook his head dismissively at Alex. “Chill, man. Street dogs haven’t killed us yet.”**

Everyone wanted to laugh because it was should have been funny. It _should have been_ but seeing as it actually happened to them, it wasn't. Nobody laughed.

Luke whined. "Reggiiiiiie! You jinxed us!"

"Oops."

**All the boys looked down at their hotdogs hesitantly- Reggie a little less than Alex and Luke- and then after a moment of staring at the streetdogs, took a ginormous bite out of their hotdogs once more.**

"The hotdogs didn't sound that mushy when we were eating them...." Reggie stated. "Why do they sound like that in the show?"

The two there boys shrugged.

Flynn moaned loudly in exasperation. "You three boys have the survival instincts of a squirrel on crack cocaine!" 

They didn't really know how to respond to that, especially when Julie and Carlos agreed with her. 

**The next thing you know, the scene shifts to an ambulance with wailing sirens zooming down the street. A crowd of teenagers was watching it drive towards them.**

By now, all of the families were wailing and clinging onto each other, sobbing their eyes out. The three boys watched them sadly and Luke turned to Sam, opening his mouth.

"No," she told him before he could even get his question out.

His shoulders slumped. 

**The screen made it where the camera slowly slid up from the ambulance so that it was pointing to the starry black sky. The sign Julie and the Phantoms poofed onto the screen and then after about three seconds, it poofed back out with a swirl of mist. The screen went black.**

" _Julie and the Phantoms_?" Nick read out loud. He turned to Julie in confusion. "What does your band have to do with these guys?" 

Julie shrugged and avoided his eyes, still thinking about that awkward failed asking-out situation. 

Ray turned to the rest of the families who were starting to calm down. "Why did you guys react so badly to this more than we did? Did you know them?"

Mary Peters straightened up. "They- they were our sons." She sniffled. 

Everyone's eyes got big. "I'm _so_ sorry...." Nick said.

Mary nodded her thanks and went over to hug Ross who was staring at the blank screen with tears running down his face. 

About five minutes later, everyone had finally calmed down. Sam bounced up to them with a happy grin on her face. "Alright! Who's ready to eat?"

Everyone raised their hands.

Someone's stomach growled.

"Yay!" Sam cheered. "If y'all will just follow me-"

Suddenly, Sam was cut off. Purple and pink smoke appeared out of nowhere and started swirling together like a miniature tornado. When the tornado finally stopped, a burst of golden sparkles blew up of some cannons that were not there before.

A short girl stepped out of the fog and glitter, struck a pose that consisted of one hand on one hip and the other thrown into the air clutching a Starbucks coffee. 

" _THE GREAT[ANDREA ](https://www.quotev.com/Disidiot)HAS ARRIVED!_" 


End file.
